Judge Sends Three Kids to Juvenile Detention For Not Going to Lunch with Their Father

Divorces aren’t fun, but it’s generally accepted that you don’t blame the children. One judge, however, has directly attacked the children of two divorced parents, sending them to a juvenile detention center because they didn’t want to go to lunch with their father.

Oakland County Family Court Judge Lisa Gorcyca said to the oldest sibling, 15, “I wanted to do this because of your horrific behavior a long time ago and your dad begged me not to. . . One day you are going to realize what’s going on in this case and you’re going to apologize to your dad.”

The teen stated: “I do not apologize for — for not talking to him because I have a reason for that and that’s because he’s violent and he — I saw him hit my mom and I’m not gonna talk to him,” the boy said, later telling the judge, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The judge had this response “No, you did… You — I ordered you to talk to your father. You chose not to talk to your father. You defied a direct court order. It’s direct contempt, so I am finding you guilty of civil contempt.”

The three children, 15, 10 and 9, are spending their summer in Children’s Village. The judge made clear that this punishment was in place until the children made a legitimate attempt to have a relationship with their father, or until they turned 18. This means the youngest could potentially spend half of her life in a detention facility.

The Oakland Press published these two statements:

“You’re supposed to have a high IQ, which I’m doubting right now because of the way you act,” Gorcyca said.

“You’re very defiant. You have no manners … There is no reason why you do not have a relationship with your father. Your father has never been charged with anything. Your father’s never been convicted of anything. Your father doesn’t have a personal protection order against him. Your father is well-liked and loved by the community, his co-workers, his family (and) his colleagues. You, young man, have got it wrong. I think your father is a great man who has gone through hoops for you to have a relationship with you.”